Repeating firearm.



N0. 883,020. PATENTED MAR. 24,1908.

` L. L. HEPBURN.

REPEATING FIREARM.y

APPLIGATIQN lFILED MAR. 11s. 1907.

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L. L. HEPBURN. REPEATING FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1907.

` No. 883,020. PATENTED MAR. 24, 190e.

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No. 8895020.Y PATBNTED MAR24, 1908.

^ L.L. HEPBURN..

REPEATING FIREARM.

APPLIOATION-IILED'MAR. 18, 1907.

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LEWIS L. HEPBURN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARLIN FIREARMS COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

REPEATING FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed March 18, 1907. Serial No. 362,871.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lnwrs L. HEPBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing `at New Haven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Firearms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to vfirearms of the repeating type, and is essentially an improvement on the invention madeY the subject matter of my former patent No. 7 7 6,243.

A Amongthe main objects of this invention are, to provide a cartridge guide to prevent stubbing the cartridges as they are fed successively into the barrel by the cartridge handling mechanism also, to provide an improved cutoff to control the successive release of cartridges from the magazine; also, to provide a means to prevent the displacement of the cartridges upon the carrier as they are delivered from the magazine. By these improvements many advantages are attained, conspicuous among which is the advantage of enabling the user to employ any length of cartridge of given caliber. As will be observed, I have also embodied in this gun the so-calied ltake down"1 construction shown in my former patent No. 584,17 7. While slide rods for actuating the action work were well known long prior to the date of my last-mentioned patent, for example, in my Patent No. 560,032, and while it would involve no invention to substitute this old reciprocating action rod for the old swinging action lever, such as shown in Patent No. 584,177, it will be observed, nevertheless, that in this case the action rod enters the receiver on its line of separation, so that the mere act of taking down the gun affords access to said rod, so that it may be readily disconnected from the various parts ofthe action work, with which it coperates, thereby facilitating the dismembering of the action work. 1

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in dotted outline, of the breech portion showing a part of the stock and a part of the barrel. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the reverse side of the stock` portion of the breech or receiver, also showing a part of the stock. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the barrel portion of the breech, and a portion of the barrel. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position from is a plan view of the carrier.

that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. r5 is a similar view, partly in longitudinal section, with some of the parts removed. Fig. 6 is a crosssection on the plane of the line X X, Fig. 5, with the carrier in place. view of the cut-off. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the carrier, partly in section. Fig. 9 Fig. 10vis a side elevation of the firing-pin. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the breech-block, locking-bolt and firing-pin.' Fig. 12 is a plan view of the breech-block and firing-pin. Fig. 13 isa rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

I need not describe at length the construction of the firearm since, as to those details which are in common to my former patents above referred to, they are generally the same, and a full description may be found upon reference thereto.

1 is the stock.

Fig. 7 is a plan 2 2 are the opposite side plates of the reunderneath the barrel and having a reciprocating motion, as shown in my previous patent No. 560,032.

6 is the hammer.

7 is the trigger.

8. is the breech-block which has a reciprocating movement only in a suitable guldeway in the receiver.

9 is a locking-bolt hinged to the breechblock and reciprocated therewith, although said vlocking-boit 9 has a swinging movement l to lock the breech-block in its advanced position when the gun is loaded in the same manner as set forth in my former patents, for example, No. 560,032 and No. 776,243.

10 is a firing-pin carried in a groove in the upper side of the breech-block. This firingpin di'ers from that set forth in my former patent No. 776,243 in that it also constitutes an improved means for holding the breechblock 1n place. To that end the upper rear edge of the firingpin is extended above the upper plane -of the breech-block for a considerable distance, while the overhanging wall or roof of thel receiver is grooved to afford a guide-wa for the projecting portion of said pin. By this means when the breechblock has been advanced so as to project that portion of the firing pin, which stands above the breech-block into said groove, the side dis lacement of the breech-block is effective y prevented. It follows, therefore, that when the breech-block has been retracted so as to remove the projected portion of the firing-pin from said groove the breechblock mayQbe removed, so far as said retaining means is concerned. This construction is an improvement on the construction set forth in my former patent No. 77 6,243 in that it furnishes an additional means for holding the breech-block in place, which is ofy particular utility when one sidel late ofthe receiver is removed, as would Ie the case when the gun is taken down.

l1 is a pivoted carrier constructed and operating substantially in the manner set forth i-n my aforesaid Letters Patent No.'

7 7 6,243', and coperating with the other parts in the same manner.

12 is an ejector of any suitable type arranged behind the breech-block and carried by that portion of the receiver which. is permanently connected` tothe barrel 3 the same being substantially as shown in my aforesaid patent, and others preceding it, and operati-ng in the same manner. The lre-A ceiver is vertically and longitudinally divided so as to form two independent side plates as set forth in my former patent No.. 584,17 7, said parts beingv assembled` or separated in the same manner and held, as in the former case, by a through-bolt, or equivalent device 13. One of these plates of the receiver is permanently carried by the stock, while the other is` permanently carried by the barrel, substantially as set forth in. my aforesaid Patent No. 584,177, andwhen assembled the breech mechanism, with the exception` of the breecheblock and firing-pin, isv inclosed thereby, the space between said side plates and below the breech-block constituting a chamber for the carrier. The ring-pin, as in the former case, is retracted by means of a spring 10a.

15 is anextractor carried by the breechblock. The action rodv 14 enters the receiver on the line of division of the separable members of the receiver, hence when the gun is taken. down this rod. may beA easily removed` from its operative engagement with the locking-bolt 9, whereupon the breeclrbl'ock and the various internal parts may be readily removed.

16 is a cartridge-guide, the same being in, the form of a yielding presser plate carried in the roof`l of the receiver and directly behind the entrance to` the barrel. In. this formof action mechanism the cartridges are-received' by the carrier when the same is in the posi# tionshown in Fig. 3.. When the actionwork is moved ina direction to advance the cartridge intov the barrel, these parts assume the would tilt the forward end of the cartridge Athereon toward the roof of the receiver at such` an angle that, were it not for the presence of the guide 16, the end of the cartridge l might bestubbed at the entrance to the barrel as it is being advanced by the breechblock. This might result in jam-ming the action, or in shaving off a portion of the lead, which shaving might itself cause the jamming of the action mechanism; The guide 16, however, normally projects down suffe ciently far to prevent this stubbing of the cartridge and guarantees its proper introduction in the barrel. By making this guide 16 yielding it is pressed back when the breechblock encounters the same and drives the cartridge home.

17 is a cartridge-guard to prevent the displacement of the cartridge on the carrier. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6' this guard 17 i-s yie-ldingly mounted on the inner side wall of the sideI plate carried by the barrel, the upper end of the guard normally over-hanging or overstanding the carrier when the same is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6. It is while in this position that the cartridge which is released from` the magazine is vthrown backward upon the carrier, and in `Fig. 6 in which 1.8 represents the cartridgel resting'upon the carrier before the latter is elevated. lt, therefore, matters not whether the cartridge is long, medium or short, the

overstanding-guard 17 will' prevent said cartridge from tipping up, or being displaced' while onl the carrier and. before it is elevated. This danger in the ordinary gun is most con spicuous in the use of short` cartridges because of the opportunity given for such cartridges to.- turn: while traveling froml the magazine back to the intermediate position in which they rest u on the depressed carrier preparatory to ellevating the same. As shown, the noseI or upper end of the cartridge-guard 1'7 is beveledv or inclined, consequently when` the carrier tilts upl to the position shownr in Fig. 4 the cartridge, when cut-off is arranged to engage and. check those cartridges in. the magazine in. advance ofthe yone that has been released and allowed to.

enterI the receiver. In the particular formshown' this cut-oft is formed of springl metal,

therear end thereof being secured. to the bot- 4 tom. of the receiver in'v any suitable manner.

Cut-offs havebeen employed heretofore, but

` it has been customary' toV actuate the'same by means of the carrier, or an equi-valent device.

1 In this instance, however, the cut-off is1actuated by the action rod directly. To that end I form a cam groove at the lower inner edge of the action rod, as best seen in Fig. 3. rlhis groove is in line with the edge 19a of the forward end of the cut-off 19. Referring to Fig. 3 this groove is indicated at 20, and in this figure it will be seen that the lower edge of the action rod is bearing upon and depressing the forward end of the cut-off. This releases the rearmost cartridge in magazine 4. These cartridges are pressed back in the usual way by a spiral spring (not-shown). While in this position the rearmost cartridge, released by cut-off 19, will stand against an abutment 8a -depending from the breechblock and overstanding the carrier, and arranged to pass through the groove 11a in the upper side thereof. Vhen the action rod 14 is moved back it will first unlock the breechblock in the usual way, and then move said breech-block backward. As the abutment S recedes the cartridges in the magazine will cause the released cartridge to move back on the carrier until it is free of the magazine, but no succeeding cartridge canbe thrown out because, as will be seen on reference to Fig. 3, a slight rearward movement of the action rod 14 will cause the groove 2O therein to overstand 'the forward end of the cut-off 19, whereupon the latter will rise to a position to catch and stop the following cartridges in the magazine. From then on the cycle of operation involves the elevating by the carrier of the released cartridge to a position in front of the barrel, then the pushing of said cartridge into the barrel, then the .locking of the breech-block, and then the ring of the cartridge. The empty shell is then retracted in the usual way, and simultaneously with the retraction with the breech-block the foregoing operation is repeated of transferring one cartridge to allow it to stand upon the carrier ready to be elevated into position to take the place of the one just discharged. The empty shell is withdrawn from the barrel in the usual way by the extractor 15, and

since the breech-block itself forms a part of` the side wall of the receiver, an ej ecting space is provided by the backward movement of the breech-block itself above the upper edge of the side plate carried by the stock.

As will be seen, the firearm, as to all essential principles, is the same as set forth in my patents of earlier date and above alluded to. The various features of improvement which have been particularly described, however, all coperate to insure the safe use of a cartridge of any length no matter what may be the position of the gun during the act of operating the action work to discharge an empty shell and substitute a loaded one in its place. As to the take-down apparatus it is the same as in my former patent No. 584,17 7, with the exception that the form of the tenon at the forward end of the stock side plate is modified. In the former instance this tenon projected forwardly, in the latter instance this tenon projects laterally and is indicated at 21, Fig. 2. The tenon at the rear end of the barrel side plate is -indicated at 22. The form of these tenons is, of course, immaterial, it being suflicient that any well known means to prevent vertical displacement of the parts when assembled be provided, the lateral displacement being prevented by the through-bolt 13, or its equivalent.

l/Vhat I claim is: Y

1. In a repeating'firearm, a barrel, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a magazine adjacent to the barrel and opening into the breechframe, a carrier therein, a cartridge guard coperating with the carrier to hold the cartridge against displacement, said guard being spring-pressed pivotally mounted at its lower end and projecting upwardly and laterally to overstand the carrier when the latter is depressed.

2. In a repeating firearm, a receiver, a barrel, a breech-block, a magazine parallel with the barrel and opening into the forward end of the receiver, a reciprocating action rod entering the receiver at the forward end and at one side of the magazine, a spring cutoif arranged to coperate with the cartridges in the magazine, a lateral offset on said cutoff. coperating with the action rod, said cutoff being actuated to release the cartridges in the magazine when said action rod is advanced.

3. In a repeating firearm, a receiver, a barrel, a breech-block, a magazine arallel with the barrel and opening into the forward end of the receiver, a reciprocating action rod entering the receiver at the forward end and at one side of the magazine, a spring cutoff arranged to coperate with the cartridges in the magazine, a lateral offset on said cutoff coperating with the action rod, said cutoff being actuated to release the cartridges in the magazine when said action rod is advanced, sa1d receiver being divided vertically to form separate detachable side-plates, one carried by the barrel, the other by the stock, the line of division being coincident with the line upon which the action rod enters the receiver, and means for detachably securing said separable parts in operative position; f j

4. In a repeating firearm, a barrel, a magazine, a receiver, breech mechanism therein, including a hinged carrier, a guard pivoted at its lower end in a recess in one side of said receiver and coperating with said carrier to prevent the displacement of the cartridges thereon when said guard is projected, a spring therefor, said carrier operating to depress said guard when moved in one direction.

5. ln a repeating firearm, a stock, a barrel, a magazine, breech mechanism, a receiver containing said breech mechanism and including one side plate permanently connected to the stock and another side plate removable from the first side plate and permanently connected to the barrel, an operating rod for the breechl mechanism, said rod entering the receiver at its forward end and at one side of the magazinev and on the line of division of the receiverf a yielding guide mounted in a recess in the receiver directly to the rear of and above the plane of the barrel, aI gnard coacting with the breech mechanism to prevent the displacement of a cartridge while carried by the breech mechanism, and a out-off within the receiver and directly below the rear end of the magazine, a lateral projection from said cut-off coacting with said operating rod.

6. In a repeating irearm, a barrel, a magazine, a receiver, cartridge handling mechanism carried thereby and including a cartridge cut-off for the magazine, said cut-oil' being normally spring-pressed in a direction to prevent cartridges in the magazine from being forced back into the receiver, a reciprocating action rod entering the receiver at one side of said magazine, a cam groove therein, a lateral projection on said cut-olf engaged by that part of the action rod in which said cam' groove is formed, whereby when said action rod is in its advanced position the cut-ofi' will be moved in a direction to release the cartridges in the magazine.

LEWIS L. HEPBURN;

Vitnesses M. H. MARLIN, M. L. PosT. 

